Mattress handle



Feb. 3, 1948.' A. FRIDOLPH MATTRESS HANDLE 3 Sheets--Sheecl l II d''111111111 "par,"

ATTORNEYS Feb. 3, 1948. A, FRlDOLPH 2,435,388

MATTRESS HANDLE Filed Feb. 8, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheetf' ...r-rr,

ATTORNEY 5 Patented Feb. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES rEENT FFICE In GreatBritain 12 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved handle for mattresses,upholstery cushions or the like, upholstered articles which are normallyawkward to lift or displace.

Usually handles have been provided on the side edges of a mattress whichhave been stitched to the mattress, but apart from the expense ofapplying these handles which either has to be done by hand or after themattress has been manufactured, or by machine stitching prior tomanufacture, the disadvantage is present that these handles are apt tobecome unstitched or torn.

The object of the present invention is to provide a handle which can berapidly applied to the mattress and which does not involve a specialstitching operation.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it will `always liehat `against the mattress side and this mattress side is not rucked whenthe handle is lifted.

According to the present invention a handle or exible material, usuallywoven tape, is adapted to be threaded through eyelets formed in themattress, the ends of this tape having rigid fastenings disposed at or`adjacent its ends, co-operating with a rigid bar disposed on the insidesurface of the mattress side.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a mattress edge showing the manner in which thehandle is attached.

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of a preferred form oi mattress handle.

Fig. 3 is `a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modied form of a handle.

Fig. 5 illustrates the use of the handle device on a single fabricsheet.

Fig. 6 is a detail section, illustrating the manner in which thestiiened end of the handle is formed.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a modified form oi a handle.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the lines 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing themanner in which the stilened back and eyelet are used in combinationwith the outer surface of the mattress.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a form of handle in combination with aVentilating device.

Fig. 10 is an elevation on the lines lilld of Fig. 9.

Fig. l1 illustrates a modified type of screen for use with the device.

Fig. 1 2 is a sectional view of a further modifie type of screen of -aventilator.

Fig. 12a. is a view on the Fig. l2.

Fig. 13 is an elevation of a button t1 pe of holder in combination withthe stiiened back.

lines lZa-l of February 8, 1939' (Cl. 1li-125) Fig. 14 is a sectionalView on the lines lll-I4 of Fig. 13.

Figs. l5 and 16` illustrate two sides of a combination ventilator andhandle holder with a novel type of stifiening back.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view on of Fig. l5. direction of the elevation ofFig. 16.

ln one preferred form of construction, a thin steel or other metal strip25 of rigid material is provided with eyelets or openings 2t which areapart at a substantially less distance than the space between similaropenings 21 in the mattress side M. The openings in the mattress thelines l'l-I 1 side M may be provided with eyelets 28. A 'lex ible handle29 is then provided which has at each4 end relatively stiff transverseheads 39 formed thereon which preferably have a width slightly greaterthan that of the handle. The handle is preferably formed of fabric andthe relatively stili ends are formed, for example, by folding the fabricend4 of the tape forming the mattress han-dlearound a clip 3l ofU-shaped section and then collapsing the clip so that the fabric be.-comes embedded therein and also surrounds it (see Fig. 6). This clip 3lmay either be the full width of the tape or wider. The aperture 25,however, must necessarily have a transverse width less than the lengthof the clip. The end 3B of the handle 29 is arranged to passlongitudinally through the holes 26 andl then straightened aroundtransversely of the hole so that it will be retained on the back side ofthe plate 25. This plate 25 which is of rigid, relatively stiiimaterial, as compared to the handle 29, is itself flexible andresilient, and While it acts as a reinforc-Y ing bar, it also normallyholds the handle taut and permits flexing of the mattress wall when thehand engages the handle.

The reason for spacing the holes 2B at a less distance than the holes21, is to obtain a better balance when the mattress side M is heldtight, as it would be in the case of a complete mattress. M may alsorepresent the side of an upholstered seat or of a suitcase, or any othersimilar typeof article. This spacing divides the strain and does notallow all of it to be on the heads 33 or on the eyelets 2S. Aconstruction similar to Fig. 3, except that the side of the article is asingle strip of fabric, is shown in Fig. 5 where the handle 2Q passesthrough a grommet or eyelet 32 in a fabric wall 3.3.

The openings 26 in the metal strip orA back plate 2.5 may be in the formof punched openings or may be formed, as shown in Fig. 4, by makingU-shape'd slits and then bending in a tongue or tab 3. As shown in thedrawing, a back plate 35 has openings .35 spaced apart at a distancesubstantially equal to the distance between grommets 23 in the wall M.The ends 30 of the Lines l-IS of Fig. 1'7 show the to hold the head in 3handle 29 are passed through the grommets 28, holes 36 and then threadedthrough openings 31 formed by the struck out portion 34. When released,the heads 30 assume a transverse position and one edge bears on the endsof the tabs 34, thus providing an abutment surface for the heads.

This construction has an added featureA in that the tab 34 forms asmooth joint or corner Y In Figs. 9 and 10'is illustrated aconstructionV which combines the features of the constructions shown inFigs. 4 and 8. In this construction, common grommets 41 are used for theback plate 35 and mattress wall M and the struck out portions 34are-used to retain the head 38 of handle 29. An additional feature ofthis construction is the Ventilating and screening combination whichconsists of small pieces of screen 44 which are placed over the openingsin grommets 4I and held in place by an adhesive tape strip 45 extend'-ing the length of and adhered to the plate 35 except at the screenswhere the tape 45 is apertured.

A modified construction for the screening arrangement is' illustrated inFig. 11 where a square screen portion 43 is provided with end tabs 41and 48. A transverse slot 49 is formed near the end of a back plate 50to receive the tab 48 and the tab 41 passes through'hole 31 alreadyformed in the plate which also receives the head of the mattress handle.VAnother manner of fastening this screen is shown in Figs. 12 and 12a,

, therefore, presents plate loosely positioned lbehind said wallprovided where Va screen portion `5| is provided with aV transverseVslot 52 through which passes a tab member 53 forming the handle.

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate the use of a relatively stiiT back plate 55with a handle 56 held to mattress wall M by studs 51 formed on backplate 55` and a snap button 58 which cooperates with the studs. The baseof the button 58 is provided withv an opening surrounded by radial slotswhich permit temporary deforming of the base until the ends of the studs51 are locked in place. In Figs.

15, 16 and 17 is illustrated a novel type of back plate 60 which isdesigned to permit easy attachment for quick assembly. The back plate 6Gis considerably shorter than the distance between grommets 6| which areshown mounted in mesh ventilators 62. plate 60 is a transverse slot 63,each of which is connected to the respective ends of the plate byAdjacent each end of the back longitudinal slots 64. In assembly, it issimply necessaryr to draw the ends of the tab 29 through the slot 64 andposition the head 30 transversely of slot 63. The margins of slot 63will then serve place and the parts in assembly.

I claim:

1. A handle for use on upholstered articles such as mattresses or thelike comprising a brous wall having spaced apertures formed therein, aflexible handle strip, means at each end of said handle forming atransverse, relatively stiff head,

and means freely positioned behind said wall for receiving said headscomprising a relatively stiff member extending along said Wall inalignment with the apertures therein, said heads being arranged to beprojected through said apertures and retained by said member by marginsof apertures of less Width than said heads, said handle being arrangedto extend between said apertures on said wall. Y

Y 2. A handle for a mattress or a like article com- "prising a, flexiblestrip having its respective ends.

Vpassing through spaced apertures in a Wall of said article, arelatively stiff, transverse head on each end of said strip, and arelatively stiff back plateY positioned freely behind said wall providedwith apertures to receive and retain said heads.

3. A handle for a mattress or a like article comprising a flexible striphaving its respective-ends passing through spaced apertures in a'walllof passing through spaced apertures in a wall of said'article, arelatively stili, transverse head on Y each end of said strip, and arelatively stili back with apertures to receive and retain said heads,said back plate apertures being spaced a substantially less distantures.

5. A handle for a mattress or a like article comprising a ilexiblestriphaving its respective ends passing through spaced apertures in a wallyof said article, a relatively stin, transverse headk on each end of saidstrip, and a relatively stili back plate loosely positioned behind saidwall provided With apertures to receive and retain said heads.

6. A handle for a mattress or like article com prising a flexible striphaving its respective ends passing through spaced apertures in a Wall ofsaid article, a relatively stiff, transverse head on each end of saidstrip, and a relatively stiff back plate behind said Wall provided witha rst pair of apertures spaced substantially as the apertures in theWall of said article and arranged to have the ends of -said flexiblestrip passing therethrough, and a second pair of apertures in said platespaced Withinsaid rst pair and arranged 7. A handle for a mattress orlike article comprising a flexible strip having its respective endspassing 'through apertures spaced in a wall of said artic1e,'arelatively stili-transverse head on each end of said strip, and arelatively stili back plate behind said wall provided With a first pairof apertures spaced substantially as the apertures in v the wall of saidarticle and arranged to have theY ends of said fiexiblestrip passingtherethrough,

and a second pair of apertures in said plate spaced within said firstpair and arranged to receive and retain said heads by reason of thecontact between the margins of said second pair of apertures and theends of saidV heads, said secondpair of apertures being formed bystriking tabs from said plate which tabs are disposed at an anglethereto, p

pointing Vtoward the inner side of the wall of said article and towardeach other. H

8, A handle for a mattress or like article comistance apart than saidwall ce'apart than said wall aper- Y prising a ilexible strip having itsrespective ends passing through spaced apertures in a wall of saidarticle, a relatively stii, transverse head on each end of said strip, arelatively stii back plate behind said Wall provided with a iirst pairoi apertures spaced substantially as the apertures in the wall 0f saidarticle and arranged to have the ends of said exible strip passingtherethrough, and a second pair of apertures in said plate spaced withinsaid first pair and arranged to 'receive and retain said heads by reasonof the contact between the margins of said second pair of apertures andthe ends of said heads, said second pair of apertures being formed bystriking tabs from said plate which tabs are disposed at an anglethereto pointing toward the inner side of the wall of said article andtoward each other, the ends of said tabs being adapted to cooperate tohold the heads of said strip in place.

9. A handle for a mattress or like article comprising a flexible striphaving its respective ends passing through spaced apertures in a wall ofsaid article, relatively stiff, transverse heads on the ends of saidstrip adapted to lie transversely of the ends of said strip, and alocking means freely positioned behind the Wall of said articlecomprising a relatively stiff plate having openings therein at each end,each adapted to receive a head of said exible strip and to retain thesame by contact of the head with the margins of the opening.

10. A handle for mattresses or like articles including a reinforcing barconcealed within the article, apertures formed in said bar, a flexiblehandle member, relatively stiff ends on said handle member extendinginto the mattress at points a substantial distance apart to engage saidreinforcing bar by passing through and extending transversely of saidapertures, said bar being free of the mattress wall and permitting exingof the mattress wall when the hand engages the handle.

11. A handle for use on brous walls of upholstered articles or the likecomprising a pair of grommets extending through said wall in spacedrelation, a resilient reinforcing bar to overlie loosely the innersurface of the wall, a iieXible cord or tape overlying the outer surfaceof the wall and passing through said grommets and means on said flexiblehandle and means on said bar whereby the two are joined to furnishmutual support on the fibrous Wall.

12. A handle for use on fibrous walls of upholstered articles and thelike comprising a pair of grommets extending through said wall, aflexible handle cord or tape overlying the outer surface of the wallsand passing through the grommets, means at each end of said handle cordor tape forming a transverse relatively sti head and an apertured,resilient. reinforcing bar` to overlie loosely the inner surface of thewall, said heads being arranged to be passed through said apertured barand retained by marginal contact therewith whereby said flexible handleand bar mutually support each other in a floating position on said Wall.

ANNETTE FRIDOLPH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Bechik (3) July 8, 1941-

